Our Privacy/Cookie Policy contains detailed information about the types of cookies & related technology on our site, and some ways to opt out. By using the site, you agree to the uses of cookies and other technology as outlined in our Policy, and to our Terms of Use.

Let's Be Real, Sometimes Motherhood Is Boring AF

byKaty AndersonFeb 14, 2019

Photograph by Twenty20

When I first became a mother, there
were some things I felt prepared for. I knew there would be a lot of feedings
and diaper changes (although you really can’t grasp just how many). I knew there would be a huge
lifestyle change. And I knew I would never sleep through the night again. One thing I was not
ready for, however, was how monotonous my life was
about to become in so many ways.

That not only was I attached to this amazing
little creature, but that I was also now beholden to its strict schedule.
As I settled into my new normal as a mother in those early months, and a
comfortable schedule began to take shape, I realized that my life was starting
to feel like the movie “Groundhog Day,” where every
day and night seemed to repeat itself — and it was taking its toll on me mentally.

Some nights, I wondered if I would have the strength to get up throughout the
night and then do the routine again the next day. It wasn’t that I didn’t
appreciate and enjoy being a mother, it was just that I felt all options for
spontaneity disintegrate, and everything became complicated and required much
more preparation. A simple trip to the store, for example, became a monumental
feat to pull off.

It may not be popular to say, but it's true: Motherhood is fulfilling in so many moments,
but between those moments, it can be thankless and arduous. The tasks that
motherhood require are often mind-numbing and repetitive, and it's not
something you can understand until you experience it.

I once had a stranger
tell me I was "spoiled" for being able to stay home with my baby. It
infuriated me because at the time I was struggling with this huge life change
and it was the first time in my life where my entire existence was focused on
another person. I felt blessed to be home with my baby, but never spoiled. My
husband and I sacrificed a lot for me to be home, and I was working harder
to care for a colicky newborn 24/7 than I had ever worked at anything in my
life.

Just because we admit to struggling with motherhood does not mean that we are
ungrateful and selfish.

Why is it that women can never point out how challenging — and even boring
— motherhood can be without being labeled as selfish or worse? With any other
job, it's acceptable to complain once in a while. We are all human, after all.
Just because we admit to struggling with motherhood does not mean that we are
ungrateful and selfish.

My kids are getting older now and the
days of constant breastfeeding and diaper changes are over for me. Now, my days
are full of driving kids around and doing endless amounts of dishes and laundry,
which can, yes, get very boring. They are also full of laughs and the joys of
watching my kids grow and develop, and so much love.

Over my years as a
stay-at-home mom, I have found fulfillment in motherhood, but I have also
learned that for me, that means having an outlet away from it as well. When I
am facing the "laundry mountain" that I dump out on my bed, I put on
an interesting podcast to keep my brain active while I delve through it. When
my kids are occupied with a movie, or after I put them to bed at night, I sneak
away to do some writing. I am a mother, but that's not all that I am.

Motherhood can be boring AF, but there
are ways to get around that — and it still doesn’t change the fact that it's the best
thing I have ever done.